President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the sprawling Transportation Department made $1.2 million while overseeing Wells Fargo as a director during the period the bank has admitted to creating millions of fake accounts.

As a member of Wells Fargo(WFC)'s board since 2011, Elaine Chao was responsible for monitoring the bank's actions as well as hiring and firing management.

Chao recently informed Wells Fargo she will resign from the board of directors "if and when" she is confirmed as transportation secretary. Wells Fargo said her decision is not linked to "any disagreement" with the company or anything related to its "operations, policies or practices."

Chao's job on the board has been lucrative. She made at least $1.2 million in total compensation, including stock awards, between 2011 and 2015, according to a CNNMoney review of filings. Her compensation for this year has not yet been released.

Besides Wells Fargo, Chao is a director of three other major companies: Rupert Murdoch's News Corp(NWSA), Ingersoll-Rand(IR) and Vulcan Materials(VMC). Last year alone, Chao made a combined $784,000 in total compensation from these directorships, filings show.

Steve Sanger, Wells Fargo's newly-installed chairman, told CNNMoney in a statement that Chao has "provided sound guidance and oversight" and has been "deeply involved in the Board's efforts to address and remedy retail sales practice issues."

Chao, a former labor secretary and the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, arrived at Wells Fargo in July 2011. It coincided with the beginning of the period that Wells Fargo has publicly admitted to creating unauthorized accounts. (Former employees have told CNNMoney the unauthorized account problem began years earlier.)

In her first year, Chao sat on Wells Fargo's corporate responsibility committee, which is charged with monitoring the company's "reputation and relationships with external stakeholders (including customers)," according to a filing. Chao was a member of that committee only during her first year. She is currently a member of the board's finance and credit committees.

Wells Fargo's reputation has also been hurt by horror stories from former employees who say the bank retaliated against them for speaking up about illegal activity. The bank has since apologized for its behavior and ushered in a series of changes, including scrapping unrealistic sales goals that employees said led to fraud.